hudson yards

After news broke last month about the Hamptons fundraiser Related Companies CEO Stephen Ross hosted for President Donald Trump, there were calls to boycott organizations owned by his company. While Equinox, SoulCycle, and David Chang’s Momofuku Restaurant Group separated themselves from Ross to clear the air, some fashion brands have more recently blacklisted Ross-linked entities, including the arts center The Shed at Hudson Yards, which was developed by Related. The New York Post reported this week that Michael Kors, Vera Wang, and the Academy of Art have canceled shows at the venue following the fundraiser fallout in August.

One of the city’s most elite supper clubs is set to open this October at 35 Hudson Yards—and early reports say it’s so exclusive that even residents of the luxury building (where apartments start at $5.1 million) won’t be able to afford a membership. “It’s not for residents,” a source familiar with the project told the New York Post. “It’s for the developer’s super-rich buddies and CEO friends.” Details about the luxe club, which will be called WS New York, are being kept on the down-low but its website boasts “unparalleled access to the finest wine and spirits, world-class dining, and one-of-a-kind cultural events” offering guests an “insider perspective on rarified worlds.”

As Related Companies CEO Stephen Ross continues to face backlash for throwing a fundraiser on Friday for President Donald Trump, his company is dealing with some drama of its own. Plans submitted a year ago to the Long Island Rail Road for the second phase of the Hudson Yards development have still not been approved by the agency, the New York Post reported.

In June, reports surfaced that Facebook was considering a lease for one million square feet of office space at 50 Hudson Yards, but the latest news from sources close to the deal indicate that the social media company will scoop up an even bigger footprint. As Crain’s most recently reported, Facebook is negotiating a lease for 1.5 million square feet across several Hudson Yards properties, with some sources saying that number could expand up to 1.8 million square feet.

According to Property Shark’s just-released ranking of New York City’s most expensive neighborhoods, Tribeca once again takes the top spot in residential sales with a median price of $4.34 million. The bigger news is Hudson Yards, on the list for the first time as the city’s second-costliest neighborhood in Q2 of 2019 at $3.86 million. Also notable was Little Italy, the city’s third most expensive neighborhood, which saw median home prices increase by 153 percent over last year’s numbers.

Equinox has officially opened the doors to its 100th fitness club at 35 Hudson Yards, just ahead of the very first Equinox Hotel opening next month. The 60,000-square-foot location— Equinox’s largest new built yet—stretches over two floors and includes a 15,000-square-foot pool and sundeck set against the backdrop of Hudson Yards’ signature landmark, the Vessel.

The technology sector at Hudson Yards may soon see a big boost. According to reports by Crain’s, Facebook is negotiating on a one million+ square foot space at 50 Hudson Yards, the 1,000-foot-tall office tower co-developed by Related and Oxford Properties Group that became the city’s most expensive office building at $4 billion. The arrival of Facebook would solidify the Midtown neighborhood as a major tech hub in the city. Amazon—who already occupies offices at 5 Manhattan West—is rumored to be looking at additional space in neighboring 2 Manhattan West.

The site at 451 10th Avenue in 2018, with Hudson Yards to the south; via Google Streetview

A joint project from Related Companies and Eliot Spitzer would bring over 100 units of senior housing near Hudson Yards, the Real Deal reported on Wednesday. According to permits filed with the city last week, the 44-story mixed-use tower at 451 10th Avenue will include 126 “long-term care facility dwelling units.”

In addition to supplying members with Kiehl’s products and trendy classes, Equinox fitness clubs will now offer co-working spaces. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Equinox is partnering with co-working company Industrious to open furnished office spaces near their gym locations. Equinox is owned by Related, the mega-developer behind Hudson Yards, and therefore the first outpost will open later this year at 35 Hudson Yards. The luxury fitness chain is also opening at the 72-story tower its first hotel (where rooms start at a whopping $700/night) and its largest fitness center in the world, complete with a rooftop pool overlooking the Vessel.

At least this means there will be more affordable bites at the far west side mega-development. As first reported by Eater, open-air food market Smorgasburg will be setting up shop at Hudson Yards every Tuesday and Wednesday this spring/summer, starting next week. In addition to offering less-expensive options (say than, $17.50 fava beans and $14 sides of fries), the market will also bring some local flavor to the corporate complex, from Queens-based Destination Dumplings to the Red Hook Lobster Pound.